The Google Notebook

I don't live in a place where the internet is reliable enough for this to be viable anytime soon, but I do tend to err on the side of Murphy's Law with these things. Internet down, computer = paperweight. Does anyone doubt that this will come seven minutes before the big presentation that your entire business depends upon?

I think also - with the exception of Gmail - Google's Apps are still not up to par, and are still generally a little slow for widespread adoption. I use Google Apps occasionally, and for nothing sophisticated, basically because I think that anything sophisticated is above the current power of the software. I mean, there are very few questions posed in the 'Excel questions thread' that Google Apps' spreadsheet software would even have an equivalent solution for...I guess that will come in time though, and in this particular project Google is the first to admit (read brag) that it is ahead of its time.

Originally Posted by Matt

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I don't live in a place where the internet is reliable enough for this to be viable anytime soon, but I do tend to err on the side of Murphy's Law with these things. Internet down, computer = paperweight. Does anyone doubt that this will come seven minutes before the big presentation that your entire business depends upon?
Here in the U.S. we generally don't have major internet or phone outages. That sounds like it sucks though. As for the no internet = paperweight thing. That's not really true in all cases. It depends on the software and the situation. You can, for example, edit Google Docs offline. It updates the remote document when you sync.

It's generally pretty good here. Mostly I am recalling a few years back when the entire pipe-to-Asia went out, it was so weird. People were...wait for it....FAXING! It was a really odd experience living without the internet for a few days and it showed us all how reliant we have become. A cloud based OS will scare me for quite some time, and notably for business applications over the personal.

Originally Posted by Matt

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im recalling a few years back when the entire pipe-to-Asia went out, it was so weird. People were...wait for it....FAXING! It was a really odd experience living without the internet for a few days and it showed us all how reliant we have become. A cloud based OS will scare me for quite some time, and notably for business applications over the personal.
I don't think you have to worry about this coming to your neck of the woods for a while. It's not like they are just dropping this without infrastructure. It's being built right now.

not officially, but it'll pop up in volume in inbound backpacks pretty shortly after it's launch for grey-market resale, and people will be all over it since it's new. Then they'll be whining that it's not working No thoughts on the present inadequacies of Google Apps?

Originally Posted by Matt

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No thoughts on the present inadequacies of Google Apps?

Not really. They've had some misses, but they've had some major hits too. For instance, Google Maps is the ****. Gmail is awesome, Voice has potential, even though currently it's kind of meh. Picasa isn't bad.

Adsense seems to be doing pretty well.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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Could I, just for the sake of discussion get an example of something you don't think you can do work-wise with this, that you think you can do with another laptop? I mean, essentially, doesn't mobile computing always hinge upon having a reliable high speed wireless data connection of some kind to get any work done? You can't send or recieve emails or upload or download data of any kind from ANY laptop without either WiFi, 3G, or LAN. It won't play CRYSIS. Can probably look at Appreciation though. Pretend that google doesn't already know how much Appreciation you look at if you want. But it knows!
With normal non-cloud computing you can: 1) Do work in applications that don't require an internet connection, such as Adobe or Office programs 2) Save and load those files even if you're out of range of a good connection 3) Look at Appreciation saved on your hard drive. I think it'll be some time before the infrastructure is strong enough to support cloud computing in any meaningful way.

Originally Posted by Brian SD

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1) Do work in applications that don't require an internet connection, such as Adobe or Office programs
But to share them with someone else, either you have to dedicate them to hard media like CD's, flash drives, or whatever, or you get online. Also, since nobody seems to believe me when I say it:

Google used to provide offline access to Google Docs files. Files were downloaded to a special folder on the user's machine, where they could be opened and edited even if the computer wasn't connected to the internet. Google killed off that capability about a year ago. In a recent blog post, however, Google says the feature will return. Google wrote that it was "excited to demonstrate a feature that we expect to deliver early in 2011 -- the return of offline support for Google Docs. For those who used offline, we are bringing back the much improved feature by taking advantage of advancements in modern browser technology like HTML5."

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2) Save and load those files even if you're out of range of a good connection

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^

3) Look at Appreciation saved on your hard drive.

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We don't know yet how Appreciation will be implemented. You may be able to save it to your computer. I can currently save cloud hosted Appreciation to my computer. My guess is that it will depend on the hardware.

I think it'll be some time before the infrastructure is strong enough to support cloud computing in any meaningful way.

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I guess we'll find out, since everyone else seems to think it's going to be ready for consumers by Q2 2011.

And the concept car version of most cars don't have air conditioning. I don't understand your point. You are denigrating a black box hardware device built to Beta test an operating system. Do you nitpick a lot of developer grade hardware? Or do you just have some sort of axe to grind?

No axe to grind. Pretty much what you see is what you'll get when it's released later this year. It's in beta and that is just how it goes.

How about we compare apples to apples here? How about you tell me what's wrong with the Android dev box, seen below and why nobody will ever use Android phones because their form factor sucks and they have no features.


No let's not. You are telling me and everyone else that this device is going to be what replaces a laptop PC. This might be true years down the road but not today.

How many Apps did the iPhone have before it was released? I'm just curious. Cause you are, at this very moment complaining that there are not enough applications tailored for an operating system that doesn't formally exist yet and won't even have a consumer release until six months from now. By the way, Adobe Photoshop already has a web browser driven cloud app. As I already mentioned. It's limited right now, but it's in BETA.

OK at least you know this is an emerging general consumer technology. How do you know it'll even take off let alone be accepted by the masses? Does the PS app have all the filters and post production add ons I currently use? No. Will it? Perhaps but that's not up to Adobe and relies on whether or not a software company will develop or allow it's technology to be used in a cloud environment.

So why don't you seem to know anything about it? What consumer level cloud computing apps are you familiar with?

Plenty but that's not the point is it?

Anecdotal evidence is nice. You seem to not be very good at thinking outside the box though. Several of these operations can be done in one or two minutes or possibly even seconds with cloud computing. Obviously depending on the scaling and infrastructure available to you in your cloud. So streamline your uploading procedure and let the supercomputer at the other end of your connection do it's job.

LOL. It doesn't get any better than a direct ftp link when uploading Slim. The problem is throttled DSL or other shared high speed connections that are currently available. My example is a valid point and one you have yet to address. What's the solution Slim? My own personal redundant T1 or T3 connection?

This is wishful thinking. Something that replaces my PC better have a BIGGER screen, not a smaller one.

Um that's not the current trend in technology.

Considering that you aren't informed enough to make this decision at the moment, I'd suggest you hold off until the product you are denigrating is actually available.

Then perhaps you should stop telling me how this yet to be released, unproven, technology is so good for me and the answer to all my computer needs.

Originally Posted by Crane's

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No axe to grind. Pretty much what you see is what you'll get when it's released later this year. It's in beta and that is just how it goes.
I was unaware that you designed Acer and Samsung laptops. I apologize for my insolence. The DEVICE is not in beta. I hoped you understand the difference. But clearly, you don't. That Android dev box I posted earlier was the beta version of the Android G1 by your definition.

No let's not. You are telling me and everyone else that this device is going to be what replaces a laptop PC. This might be true years down the road but not today.

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No, I'm not. In fact, I said quite the opposite.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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It's not going to replace anything, but it's a pretty cool idea. The hardware itself is not really innovative. Basically it's a test bed for increased productivity in native cloud computing.
YOU are the one who said that.

Originally Posted by Crane's

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What you see going on here is how you'll get that cell phone sized device that'll eventually replace what we we call the PC today.
I fundamentally disagree that this is happening at all. No "one device" is going to replace the PC. Everything is going to be a PC.

OK at least you know this is an emerging general consumer technology. How do you know it'll even take off let alone be accepted by the masses?

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Well, Youtube seems to be pretty popular.

My example is a valid point and one you have yet to address. What's the solution Slim?

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I already actually addressed that. Step one: streamline how you do things. Specifically, there are several ways to do that. One is to be more selective with your picture taking. Another is to start by selecting the best or most promising pictures then only uploading them. A third is to upload the pictures to your cloud as you take them and skip the whole transferring them from camera to laptop to internet step altogether.

This is wishful thinking. Something that replaces my PC better have a BIGGER screen, not a smaller one.
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Um that's not the current trend in technology.
Oh really? how many devices came out this year that let you stream digital content to your television?

Then perhaps you should stop telling me how this yet to be released, unproven, technology is so good for me and the answer to all my computer needs.

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Nope, didn't do that either. I am pointing out that it is not "useless" as you said. It's just that you are nearsighted and crotchety and set in your ways and are unable to foresee any practical applications for technology to improve your work flow.

So yeah. Morning!

Storing my entire digital life in Google's cloud? That sounds like a pretty horrific idea to me... Thanks, but no thanks.

Originally Posted by speedfreak

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Storing my entire digital life in Google's cloud?
It's probably already there. I don't mean to alarm anyone, but Google (and others) already have potential access to every scrap of information that can be gleaned via computer. Google "saves data as long as they think it's relevant" and they mine data everywhere. They already know everything about you. And it's not necessarily "Google's cloud" any more than it's "Google's internet" or "Microsoft's internet" or "Apple's internet". It's just "The Cloud".

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

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I fundamentally disagree that this is happening at all.
No "one device" is going to replace the PC. Everything is going to be a PC.


Except if it's an Apple, of course!